The game did serve as an answer to the recent questions about the passing game, as Young was both efficient and explosive, hitting a number of downfield shots. All of that came after Young waved off an offered cart ride to the locker room, walking back to get his ankle checked in the first quarter.
While Andy Dalton warmed up, Young didn’t miss a snap, and he didn’t miss many passes the rest of the way.
He finished with 448 yards and three touchdowns, surpassing the 328 from the wild comeback attempt at Arizona in Week 2.
The Panthers defense also tightened up as the day went on, after a first half in which they struggled to slow down the Falcons.
Wide receiver Drake London had five catches for 108 yards, and Bijan Robinson had 16 carries for 93 yards at halftime, as the Falcons raced to a 21-7 lead.
But the Panthers clawed back a field goal just before halftime, and then added a touchdown on their first possession of the second half to make it a game again.
After that point, there were small things that didn’t fall their way, from a stopped two-point conversion to a failed fourth-down attempt inside the Falcons’ 10.
But Young and the Panthers had answers, and with Tampa Bay’s loss to Buffalo, now sit just a half-game back in the NFC South.
